Small Snakes for Exotic Pet and Their Diet

These small snakes are affordable exotic pets to keep because they require minimal expenses for their food and maintenance.

Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)

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The beautiful Spotted Python is a non-venomous snake of Northern Australia. It is a very popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts due to its small size which can attain a length of up to 140 cm only.

Diet:

Its favorite food is bat but will usually accept mice and small rodents in captivity.

Albino Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus)

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The Albino Checkered Garter Snake is a lovely-looking snake native to the United States. The Checkered Garter Snake is typically green in color, with a distinct, black checkerboard pattern down its back. It is capable of growing to lengths of 42 inches or less than 4 ft. It is the easiest garter snake to tame; even a wild one can become tame in a few days when handled carefully.

Diet:

It feeds on small frogs, toads, small fish and earthworms. If already trained, it feeds also on small mice or fish fillet. It rarely bites but it releases a smelly liquid onto your body.

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

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The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a small snake that can be kept as exotic pet. It is native to the United States and gets its name from its very thin body. It can achieve a length of up to 86 cm. It is also informally called Common Ribbon Snake.

Diet:

The Ribbon Snake generally eat small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, small frogs and toads, and occasionally insects. In some cases the female has been observed eating her young.

Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis)

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Another species of small python native to Australia is the Pygmy Python which grow to a length of 50 cm only or less than 2 ft and weigh up to 210 grams only. It is relatively smaller than the Spotted Python and the Children’s Python.

Diet:

This small exotic reptile pet feeds on small rodents such as mice and rats.

Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)

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Another relatively thin and slender snake is the Plains Garter Snake. It is endemic to the United States and has a distinctive orange or yellow stripe that goes from its head to tail. It can grow up to 91 cm in length.

Diet:

This garter snake typical diet is consists of earthworms, slugs and small amphibians, such are larvae of salamanders. It also feeds on small birds like Bank swallows and Easter Meadowlarks.

San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia)

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The San Francisco Garter Snake is a slender multi-colored snake native to California, USA. This endangered species prefers wet and marshy areas and is elusive to see or capture. It is estimated that there are up to 2000 individuals that remains.

Maritime Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus)

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The uniquely-patterned Maritime Garter Snake or scientifically named Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus is a subspecies of garter snake.  The specimen on the above photo was taken in Nova Scotia.

See also 

• World’s Most Beautiful, Colorful and Highly Recommended Small Exotic Snake Pets 
• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes 
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet
• The World’s Most Attractive and Colorful Reptiles
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever 
• Snakes With Unique Patterns and Distinct Blotches and Markings